March 8, 1900. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



149 



modern times. I will tell you briefly the process by which 

 it is proven that a special microbe is the cause of a particu- 

 lar disease. 



In the first place, it must be determined that the or- 

 g^anisni does not occur in the tissues of the healthy 

 animal. Secondly, the microbes must always be found in 

 the tissues of the animal having the particular di.sea.se in 

 question. Thirdly, the organism must be taken from the 

 tissues of a diseased animal, separated from the other or- 

 ganisms and grown thru several generations. Then the 

 organisms from the last culture must be inoculated into the 

 tissues of a healthy animal, and cause the particular dis- 

 ease. Lastly, the tissues of this diseased animal must be 

 found to contain the characteristic germ with which the ex- 

 periment started. Such proof must certainly be conclusive. 

 It is in this way that Cheshire proved foul brood to be 

 caused by the organism that he named Bacillus alvei. 



Now let us consider how these organisms can increase 

 so rapidly as they must to cause the death of a large animal 

 in a few days after they attack it, which is not an uncom- 

 mon thing. 



A single spore or rod of Bacillus alvei is sufficient to 

 start foul brood in a colony if it is eaten by a larval bee, 

 and a few weeks later the germs will be present in countless 

 millions, and nearly all the brood will be diseased or dead. 

 Cheshire estimated that a single bee-larva; might contain a 

 thousand millions of these germs. An illustration or two 

 maj' help us to understand the enormity of this number. If 

 each of the thousand million germs could be represented by 

 a block an inch on a side, these blocks would be sufficient 

 to build a wall an inch thick, 10 feet high, and more than 

 130 miles long. Again, if each of these microbes was a foot 

 long, and they were all placed end to end, they would reach 

 more than seven times around the earth. 



The method of increase in these organisms is by divi- 

 sion. One of the rods attains a certain length, and then 

 divides into two rods. The two soon attain adult size and 

 divide, forming four. These four and all succeeding ones 

 grow and divide in like manner, which gives an increase in 

 geometrical ratio. A few minutes' figuring will prove to 

 you that, if one of these germs and its progeny divide every 

 four hours, they will amount to a billion in less than five 

 days. So, altho the number is enormous, the manner of 

 increase makes it possible to attain such numbers in a lit- 

 tle time. 



Appreciating to some extent the extreme minuteness of 

 these organisms, and remembering that they are hundreds 

 of times smaller than the smallest mote that we can see 

 floating in a sunbeam, we are prepared to understand how 

 they can float about with great readiness in currents of air. 

 Micro-organisms are alwaj's about us, in the food we eat, 

 the water we drink, and the air we breathe, but they are 

 more abundant about cities and thickly populated communi- 

 ties than in more thinly populated places. Water exposed 

 to the air always contains them. Experiments by Miquel, 

 of France, showed that rainwater contains 64,000 germs to 

 the quart. Most of these germs are perfectly harmless ; but 

 when pathogenic (disease-producing) germs do occur in any 

 place, it is easy to understand how readily they may be 

 carried about upon one's hands or clothing, in milk or 

 water, in letters thru the mails, by insects such as flies 

 and mosquitoes, and in similar ways. 



There is a difference of opinion as to how the foul-brood 

 germs are introduced into the bees. The popular belief is 

 that they are taken into the alimentary canal along with 

 the honey that the larval bee eats. This being the case, 

 there should be large numbers of the germs in the alimen- 

 tary canal in the early stages of the disease. Cheshire says 

 that the germ almost never makes its attack in the alimen- 

 tary canal. He thinks the germs come in contact with the 

 surface of the body, begin to develop there, and then pene- 

 trate to the interior. 



Foul brood was so named because of the ofi^ensive odor 

 which usually accompanies it, and the supposition that it 

 attacks the larval bee onl)' ; but Cheshire found that mature 

 bees often succumb to the disease. He also states that 

 queens of badly diseased colonies frequently have the dis- 

 ease, and that the eggs laid by thena contain bacilli. Pas- 

 teur, in 1865, found that the eggs of the diseased female 

 silkworm moths always contained germs of the silkworm 

 disease, and that worms hatching from these eggs always 

 died prematurely. If queen-bees can become diseased, it 

 seems probable, then, that the eggs they lay would contain 

 germs of the disease which would develop and destroy the 

 future larva;. 



While there can be little doubt that the foul-brood 

 germs are usually communicated to the young bees in 



honey given them as food, it may also be carried from col- 

 ony to colony upon the hands, upon knives used to trim 

 burr-combs, or upon boards oi cloths or sections, or other 

 furniture used in tlie hive of an infested colony. If a dis- 

 eased colony becomes weak, it may be robbed by other col- 

 onies, all of which would probably contract the disease. 



The symptoms of foul brood are quite characteristic. 

 The larv;e lose their pearly whiteness, gradually changing 

 to a cofi'ee color, finally turning black, and drying down to 

 a mere scale at the bottom of the cell. The cofl'ee-colored 

 mass that the larva changes to is entirely shapeless, show- 

 ing none of the structure of the grub ; and if a sliver or pin 

 be used to remove it from the cell it will stretch out for 

 some little distance, and then snap back. If the larva is 

 nearly grown before the disease attacks it, it may cap its 

 cell, and then, after it dies, the capping usually sinks, and 

 often has a hole at the center. When mature bees are at- 

 tackt they weaken and die, but retain their form. 



You are familiar with the methods of treating this dis- 

 ease as given in the State law, in bee-journals, and by 

 county inspectors, so I shall not take time to treat this 

 phase of the subject, except to warn all, especially begin- 

 ners, against any attempts to cure the disease. You will 

 do better to bury or burn the entire colony as soon as found 

 to be diseased. C. P. Gillette. 



Mr. Whipple — I have noticed some pickled brood, dead 

 brood with a watery substance around it. 



Mr. Root — A great many samples of dead brood have 

 been sent to us. Those from New York were not pickled 

 brood which retains its shape, while this other kind does 

 not, and is of the same color as foul brood. It is not cured 

 by the starvation plan. 



Mr. Bates — I found two colonies afi'ected with dead 

 brood. It was dry, and had none of that watery appearance. 

 I sprayed with brine and carbolic acid, and closed the hives. 

 That was the end of it. I took three supers of honey from 

 one, and two from the other. 



Mr. Harris — The bee-inspector in Mesa County found a 

 great deal of brood dead, in some cases one-half. It -was ' 

 not pickled brood. 



Mr. Thompson — In Montrose County some of us noticed 

 a good deal of dead brood thru the summer, in cells scat- 

 tered everywhere among the healthy cells. It was of a 

 brown color, but neither foul brood nor pickled brood. In 

 Utah I heard of a good deal of what is there called pickled 

 brood, but I think not correctly. 



The report of the legislative committee was then heard. 



Mr. Harris — Your committee waited on the assistant of 

 the attorney-general. He said an attempt was made to re- 

 peal the spraying clause, and in his opinion there was a 

 question whether the clause had not been repealed. 



Prof. Gillette — Near Fort Collins last June there was a 

 case of prosecution under that law, and the fine was paid. 

 Hence the law was in force. 



(The report of the committee was received and the com- 

 mittee continued.) 



Mr. Milleson — There need be no fears about any law 

 being amended or repealed if due diligence is exercised by 

 the committee. There is no member of the Horticultural 

 Board, with one exception, but is in sympathy with us. 

 The opinion is almost unanimous all over Arapahoe County 

 that bee-keepers should be protected. 



Mr. Harris — I refer to the Repealing Act of 1899, page 

 299. The horticulturists in Mesa County say the law is re- 

 pealed, and they will spray all they please. 



Pres. Aikin — We were assured last year there was no 

 repeal. 



Prof. Gillette — I know that Mr. Harris is correct in his 

 assertion that prominent Mesa County horticulturists are 

 against the law. There is no need of spraying in bloom, 

 and I have always told horticulturists so. I wish to know 

 whether the bee-keepers would like experiments performed 

 to ascertain the degree of heat necessary to destroy foul 

 brood. 



J. B. Adams — I would like the Professor to take up the 

 killing temperature of foul brood. Some think boiling a 

 short time is enough, and others that it should be boiled a 

 long time. 



Mr. Whipple — I have found that when the honey is 

 diluted half and half with water, and brought to a sharp 

 boil, it is safe. 



H. Rauchf uss — I would like the Professor to take up the 

 question of queens carrying the disease. 



Mr. Whipple — I introduced a queen from a diseased col- 

 ony to a healthy one ■without infecting it. 



Mr. Porter — Is the odor of foul brood injurious ? 



